After four years of RB Najee Harris playing game in and game out, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a different vibe to their backfield in 2025. Jaylen Warren returns as the presumed starter but is joined by two outsiders in veteran Kenneth Gainwell and rookie Kaleb Johnson. Under an offensive coordinator like Arthur Smith known for rotating his backs, it’s anyone’s guess how the Steelers’ committee will function. PPG beat writer Brian Batko gave his best guess to how it’ll look.
“That’s a tough one to call,” Batko admitted during a recent 93.7 The Fan interview with Donny Chedrick. “You could certainly look at it as it’s gonna be similar to the Najee Harris and Warren timeshare. Except Warren probably bumps up to being the de facto number one guy.”
In other words, Warren assumes the Harris role and Johnson takes over Warren’s carry share. Last season, Harris outcarried Warren 263-120 but Warren either missed time with injury or was limited throughout the first half of the season, making that a poor indicator of the split. In 2023, the split was closer at 255-149, but that wasn’t with Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator. To Batko’s point, it makes it hard to neatly map out a split. Riding the hot hand in-season makes projections even tougher.
“If one guy is really rolling and Kaleb Johnson’s ripping off 10-, 12-, 15-, 20 yard-gains, then yeah, might as well stick with him,” Batko said.
Ultimately, the handwringing over backfield split in Pittsburgh could as irrelevant this season as it felt in years past. The goal is for the collective to spur the offense in the right direction. No matter if that’s Warren, Johnson, or someone else, the running game must produce. That was true under Harris and Warren, making the debate over who the better runner was moot. The only circles where it mattered came in the fantasy football community.
How well Pittsburgh’s offensive line performs, a point we’ve stressed for months, has an obvious impact on results. Just as it applies to protecting QB Aaron Rodgers, the young front five must clear lanes for Warren, Johnson, and company. Otherwise, the running game will be middling. Not successful enough on first down, not enough big plays that have been missing for years. Whether it’s a full-blown timeshare, a committee that tilts one way, or one that bounces between players, the results will be the focus.